Too little too late for Patriots

Regardless of the drama, the Patriots' postseason path took a major detour with the loss to San Francisco. In the end, the real news isn't the final score — it's what it might mean.

JONATHAN COMEY

With 27 minutes to go in the game on a rainy, cold Sunday night, scores of Patriots fans headed to the exits, sure that their team was on their way to a blowout loss.

They were right about the loss, but the Pats sure did make it interesting.

Down 31-3, New England scored the next 28 points to tie it, only to see San Francisco go back up seven just two plays later and hang on for a 41-34 win at Gillette Stadium.

Talk about a game living up to the hype. It wasn't the greatest game ever played, but it was one of the most exciting.

Still, regardless of the drama, the Patriots' postseason path took a major detour with the loss to San Francisco. In the end, the real news isn't the final score — it's what it might mean.

A first-round playoff bye is now in major peril as the Patriots (10-4) dropped behind Denver (11-3) for the inside track to either of the top two spots in the AFC.

Now, instead of the probable No. 1 seed they would have earned with a win, the Patriots are facing a longer, stranger trip if they want to wind up in New Orleans on Feb. 3.

And regardless of where they're seeded, they'll have to play a better 60-minute game than they did Sunday night to get a shot at their fourth NFL title.

As cold rain came down on and off, the first quarter was one of the most eventful imaginable. Four fumbles, a Randy Moss touchdown, two Patriot turnovers, a Tom Brady TD-saving "tackle," a fake punt, a missed field goal.

And yet, the score was only 7-0, staying that way on the first play of the second quarter when the Niners failed on a fourth-and-inches in New England's territory.

San Francisco had its chance to put New England away early, and when it failed to do so, you could certainly figure it would haunt them. Instead, they took a 17-3 lead at the break, with 142 yards of rushing leading the charge, and QB Colin Kaepernick was brilliant. He went to the break with a 115.8 passer rating (to Brady's 40.7), and added 29 yards rushing.

New England is built to play with a lead, and when San Francisco established control of the game the Pats' defense showed the holes you'd hoped they'd filled.

And then, when you thought New England was ready to show some life after a Devin McCourty interception in the end zone early in the second half "» another blunder. Stevan Ridley fumbled for the second time early in the second half, San Francisco ran it to the shadow of the goal line and Frank Gore scored off another Kaepernick mishandle.

It was less than a minute (and an interception off a missed catch by Aaron Hernandez) later that Kaepernick was hitting Michael Crabtree for a touchdown and the ever-hardy Patriot fans were heading for the exits with 27 minutes to play.

Apparently they forgot that the Patriots' offense is one of the best in NFL history, capable of anything — even the most remarkable of comebacks.

The drama began. First, a Danny Woodhead touchdown. 31-10. Then a Brady dive over the top on 4th down at the 1. 31-17. Then, a Brady to Hernandez touchdown, and all of a sudden, it was 31-24 with a whopping 12:13 still to play. Then, after another in a series of three-and-outs by the 49ers, the Patriots drove down the field and tied it on a Woodhead run as the crowd went berserk.

And then, inexplicably, the Niners came back like none of it had ever happened, scoring the go-ahead TD on a pass to a wide-open Crabtree — and this time didn't let it slip away. The Patriots had two chances to tie, but went 3-and-out and then 4-and-out deep in their own end.

Sometimes, in the end, it's just not your night. And while there's always a tendency to overrate after a big win (vs. Houston) and overreact to a big loss, the fact is that regardless of the score, the Patriots are still where they've always been — in the running.

But they're no longer leading the pack.

Jonathan Comey is sports and features editor for The Standard-Times.

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